Expansion joint cover and flashing therefor



L 1967 F. J. PATRY ETAL EXPANSION JOINT COVER AND FLASHING THEREFORFiled March 2, 1964 ATTORNEYS H. Bloir Lamont United States Patent3,300,913 EXPANSION JOINT COVER AND FLASHENG TIEREFOR Francis J. Patry,Lewiston, and Harold Blair Lamont, Lincolnville, Maine, assignors toLamont & Riley, Inc., Worcester, Mass, a corporation of MassachusettsFiled Mar. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 348,491 8 Claims. (CI. 5258) This inventionrelates to expansion joint covers of the type often used in buildingsand other structures Where it is desirable to cover an expansion joint.This invention is an improvement on the expansion joint cover of theprior copending application of Harvey L. Patry, Ernest Patry, Francis J.Patry and H. Blair Lamont, Serial Number 72,179 filed November 28, 1960,now United States Patent 3,123,188, granted March 3, 1964, now ReissuePatent No. 25,733, granted February 23, 1965. A machine for and methodof manufacturing the aforesaid earlier form of expansion joint cover isshown and described in connection with the copending application ofHarvey L. Patry, Ernest Patry, Francis J. Patry and H. Blair Lamont,Serial Number 342,766, filed February 5, 1964.

A major object of the present invention is to provide an improvedexpansion joint cover of the type disclosed in the aforesaid priorapplication, now Reissue Patent No. 25,733.

Another object of this invention is to provide an expansion joint coverwhich can be installed more easily than those of the prior art.

A further object of this invention is to provide an expansion jointcover which is simple to install and reliable in operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide an expansion joint coverwhich, considering the costs of installation, is lower in cost thanheretofore.

A further object of the invention is to improve the durability ofexpansion joint covers.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an expansion jointcover which has improved thermal insulation and soundproofcharacteristics.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as thisdescription proceeds.

In carrying out the aforesaid objects, I provide an elastic strip withmetal extensions extending away from each elongated edge of the elasticstrip whereby to effectively widen the expansion joint cover. Thesemetal extensions are folded back on themselves to provide U- shapedclips adjacent their opposite edges. These U- shaped clips extend thefull length of the expansion joint cover and include restrictedentranceways so as to securely hold a piece of flashing which enters thesame. The elastic strip preferably has a piece of closed cell foam orinsulating foam adhesively secured to the underside thereof and whichcovers substantially the entire area of one face of the elastic strip,except for limited portions adjacent opposite edges which are covered bythe aforesaid metal extensions. If desired the insulating foam may alsocover the metal extensions or part thereof.

The metal extensions are attached to the elastic strip by means of asocket into which the elastic strip fits, the socket being a part of themetal extension.

The socket is described in considerable detail and made the subject ofthe aforesaid prior copending application, now Reissue Patent No.25,733.

Other features of my invention will appear as this description proceedsand the combinations of elements constituting my invention will bedefined in the appended claims.

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In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the expansion joint cover with one end shownin cross-section.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view of the invention as installed on abuilding or structure.

FIGURE 3 is a more detailed view of a portion of the expansion jointcover constituting the invention along with a piece of flashing of abuilding.

FIGURE 4 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a modified form of theinvention as installed.

FIGURE 5 is an end view of the piece of flashing used in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an end view of the metal extension 16-18 etc. of FIGURE 4.

The expansion joint cover of FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 includes an elasticstrip 11) which is preferably 20 feet long, although it may be of anysuitable length. It is supported by two metal extensions 12 and 13, eachof which has portions 14 and 15 which are clamped on to limited sideportions of the elastic strip 119, respectively adjacent opposite edgesthereof. The portion 15 of member 13 lies parallel to the strip 16 whichhas a bend 16a so that thereafter it is more nearly in the same plane,which is the major plane of the joint cover, as the portion 15. At asuitable distance from bend 16a, the direction of the member 13 againchanges at 17, and terminates in a U- shaped clip 1849, which clipincludes a folded-over portion 20 to provide a restricted entrance forthe U-shaped clip 1819.

The elastic strip 10 of FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 is attached to the innerfaces of the socket 14-15 by means of a suitable adhesive, as Well as toa minor extent by the clamping action of the members 1445. The socketportion 14 is corrugated along its full length to enable the device tobe easily installed in the field. One such corrugation is shown at 14aof the FIGURE 3. Except for the portions of strip 10 which are coveredby the two socket elements 14 and 15, the lower face of the strip 10 iscovered by a piece of insulating foam 11 which is preferably quite thickas compared to the thickness of the elastic strips 10. The elastic strip10 is made of a suitable strong elastic material as, for example,neoprene, or any other of the materials described in either of theaforesaid applications referred to above. Thus, strip 11) is adapted tostand most of the stresses and strains, while the insulating foam strip11 is adapted to provide additional thermal insulation and to make theexpansion joint cover more soundproof, etc.

One of the important features of the invention shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and3, resides in the use of clips 18-19 adjacent to each edge of theexpansion joint cover. These clips enable the expansion joint cover tobe readily attached to pieces of flashing such as 21. The piece offlashing shown includes the vertical portion 21 adapted to be attachedto an expansion joint BB of a building. It is understood that the twoportions BB of FIG- URE 2 are adjacent portions of a building which arenot attached together and which may move with respect to each other topermit expansion and contraction of the elements of the building. Thusthe two walls BB may move in any direction with respect to each other asthe temperature van'es. The two pieces of flashing 21 are attached tothese two elements BB respectively, and each piece of flashing 21 has agenerally horizontal portion 22 which contains a series of raisedportions 23 formed by indenting the top face of strip 22 at spacedintervals as, for example, every inch or two. When the strip 22 with itsraised portions 23 enters the restricted entrance to the U-shaped clips18-19, the raised portion 23 causes the members 18 and 19 to separate,and when the strip 22 has .passed so far inward that the raised portionpasses enlargement 20, the spring action of clip 18-19 causes the strips18 and 19 to approach each other. Thus, the enlargement 20 moves againststrip 22 to the right of raised portion 23 (see FIGURE 3) and locks theclip onto the flashing 21-23. Normally the flashing members 2121 areinstalled on the building first, and the expansion joint cover is verysimply and easily installed by inserting the two clips 18-19 onto thetwo flashing members 21-23.

FIGURE 4 is a modified form of the invention which is identical in everyrespect to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 except as follows. The insulating foam 11instead of terminating at the edge of the socket 1415 as in FIG- URE 3,extends to the edge of the clip 1819 and thus covers the top surface ofthe members B. The clips 18-19 of FIGURE 4 are vertical instead ofhorizontal as in FIGURES 1 to 3, and the flashing 21 may therefore bemounted in a diiierent way, as shown.

It is understood that, while FIGURE 4 shows only the right-hand memberB, there are two members B, the same as in FIGURES 1 to 3; and theleft-hand member B and the left-hand part of the expansion joint coveris built the same way as the right-hand part.

FIGURE 5 illustrates the piece of flashing 42; and

FIGURE 6 the socket elements 14-45 and clips 18-19 for the left-handpart of FIGURE 4. The flashing 42 is secured to the top of wooden memberB by nails 44 and extends downward to form drip line 43 upward to formthe clip-receiving portion 41.

I claim to have invented:

1. An expansion joint cover for a building structure comprising a stripof elastic material, a metal strip attached thereto and extending awayfrom one side of the elastic strip, and a piece of flashing, saidflashing having a projecting portion including a raised portion, saidmetal strip including socket means for attaching the elastic strip tosaid flashing, said socket means comprising a U-shaped c-lip receivingsaid projecting portion of the flashing for attachment thereto, saidU-shaped clip having means for providing a restricted entrance into theclip and for holding the projecting portion of the flashing in the clipby mechanically co-operating with said raised portion, the retainingmeans comprising an enlargement on one leg of said U-shaped clip.

2. An expansion joint cover as defined in claim 1 wherein one of thelegs of said U-shaped clip is generally in line with the major plane ofthe joint cover.

3. An expansion'joint cover as defined in claim 1 wherein said elasticstrip includes a strip of insulating foam covering one face of theelastic strip, said strip of insulating foam being substantially thickerthan said strip of plastic material.

4. An expansion joint cover as defined in claim 1 wherein the legs ofsaid -U-shaped clip are generally transverse to the major plane of thejoint cover.

5. An expansion joint cover as defined in claim 4 wherein said jointcover further comprises a strip of insulating foam covering one face ofsaid elastic strip together with one face of said metal strip.

6. An expansion joint cover as defined in claim 1 wherein said metalstrip is folded back on itself at at least two places to integrally formsaid socket means, the first folded back portion being resilient andforming said U-shaped clip and the second folded back portion providingthe restricting and holding means.

7. An expansion joint cover as defined in claim 6 wherein said metalstrip is folded back on itself at at least three places to integrallyform said socket means and wherein said metal strip further includes anapproximately bend, the third folded back portion and the 90 bendcausing the extended sides of said U-shaped clip to be generallyperpendicular to the major plane of the joint cover.

8. An expansion joint cover as defined in claim 1 wherein the strip ofelastic material has sufficient re-' siliency to enable said clip to bereadily inserted on the projecting portion of the flashing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTSv Re. 25,7332/1965 Patry et al 52--396 502,009 7/ 1 893 Neel 5296 1,357,713 11/1920Lane 52468 X 1,589,675 6/1926 Belding 52-522 2,126,499 8/ 1938 Petersen5252t2 X 2,140,407 12/ 1938 Schilling t 52-60 X 2,226,886 12/1940 Willis52-673 X 2,231,065 2/1941 Gabel 5296 X 2,260,438 10/1941 Cheney 52-602,741,000 4/ 1956 De Martin 52-208 3,093,934 6/1963 'Underhill 52469 XFOREIGN PATENTS 43,132 7/ 1888 Germany. 567,364 10/ 1957 Italy.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

M. O. WARNECKE, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN EXPANSION JOINT COVER FOR A BUILDING STRUCTURE COMPRISING A STRIPOF ELASTIC MATERIAL, A METAL STRIP ATTACHED THERETO AND EXTENDING AWAYFROM ONE SIDE OF THE ELASTIC STRIP, AND A PIECE OF FLASHING, SAIDFLASHING HAVING A PROJECTING PORTION INCLUDING A RAISED PORTION, SAIDMETAL STRIP INCLUDING SOCKET MEANS FOR ATTACHING THE ELASTIC STRIP TOSAID FLASHING, SAID SOCKET MEANS COMPRISING A U-SHAPED CLIP RECEIVINGSAID PROJECTING PORTION OF THE FLASHING FOR ATTACHMENT THERETO, SAIDU-SHAPED CLIP HAVING MEANS FOR PROVIDING A RESTRICTED ENTRANCE INTO THECLIP AND FOR HOLD-